Final thoughts

The San Francisco 49ers join the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks as three of the last four teams standing. That sounds like pretty good news for Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. More stats-oriented football people are still arguing whether postseason experience helps in the postseason or if good teams just happen to survive longer in the postseason, but it certainly can't hurt as this weekend's results have shown.

Well, it's time to see if this trend continues by heading over to David Lengel's live coverage of Chargers/Broncos. That wraps up my shift here, thanks to everyone for following along with me here, especially everyone who contributed. Ciao!

Carolina Panthers

I went with the 49ers in my prediction because they had been here before and that very much was the difference between these two teams, who otherwise seemed rather close talent-wise. The Panthers collected boneheaded penalties while also looking for bailout calls, were sloppy with the play clock and clearly weren't comfortable in the no huddle (leading to that fatal interception in the fourth quarter). Seeing them give up on an (incredibly unlikely) possible miracle comeback to get a few last words in with a 49ers team that got in their heads.

They'll know better next time, and despite Carolina's past failures, I really do believe there will be a next time. There's a good team here.

49ers 23-10 Panthers, :23, 4th quarter

The 49ers clock-killing drive peters out at 4th on 9 on the Carolina 39, where the 49ers just take a delay of game and... did the punter just attempt a pass on 4th down for no reason. That's kinda of amusing.

49ers 23-10 Panthers, 4:02, 4th quarter

And the Panthers just don't care. Hunter only gets 2 yards on 3rd down which means that it would be a fourth down situation for the 49ers but instead the defensive players would rather tumble with the 49ers players here than even try to pull of a miracle. 15 yard penalty and automatic first down for San Francisco and that's basically the ballgame folks.

49ers 23-10 Panthers, 4:16, 4th quarter

Donte Whitner makes the interception that might just put this one away for the 49ers, who will start at their 0wn 27. On 1st and 10 they hand it to Frank Gore who runs it for no gain. The Panthers take a timeout.

49ers 23-10 Panthers, 5:03, 4th quarter

The Panthers' no huddle here is utterly sloppy, it's like the opposite of watching Brady or Manning in the shotgun. Newton tries the quarterback sneak at their own 44 to get into Carolina territory. The clock keeps bleeding seconds. On 1st and 10, Tolbert picks up two yards. Next, Newton is sacked! A loss of 13! No wait, a flag, roughing the passer.

49ers 23-10 Panthers, 7:11, 4th quarter

Newton's first pass is incomplete and almost intercepted, but on 2 and 10 he slings a 13-yard pass here to LaFelle that's a first down but, oof, he gets sacked on the next drive at a loss of six yards.

49ers 23-10 Panthers, 7:35, 4th quarter

The bigger result of that 49ers run wasn't the three points but the 8+ minutes of clock that it took away from Carolina. Ted Ginn Jr returns the 49ers kickoff to the Carolina 23 yard line where they need a touchdown and quick to stay in this thing.

Field Goal! 49ers 23-10 Panthers, 7:46, 4th quarter

Kaepernick attempts a run but he gains nothing, so the Panthers have held the 49ers to a field goal, which is about the best they could hope for here. Dawson's 33 yard field is goal and Carolina has a lot of catching up to do. And quickly.

49ers 20-10 Panthers, 11:06, 4th quarter

The 49ers, now on Carolina's 27-yard line, hand the ball to Hunter who gets exactly 39 yards less than Frank Gore. A pass to Boldin gets them on the 18-yard line that takes us to a- of course- 3rd and 1 situation. They take a timeout. For reasons.

FRANK GORE 39 YARD RUN! 49ers 20-10 Panthers, 12:27, 4th quarter

Or they could have been discussing about handing the ball over to Frank Gore for a big run, because at 3rd and 1, Gore bursts into a 39-yard run in what just might end up being the back-breaking play for the Panthers!

49ers 20-10 Panthers, 14:33, 4th quarter

A seven yard scramble from Football Billy Zabka brings the Panthers two yards short of a first down and on 3 and 2 he connects with Boldin for a first down. They're at their own 25. This promises to be methodical.

SACKED! AND ALSO SACKED! 49ers 20-10 Panthers, :33, 3rd quarter

Newton passes to LaFell for the first down and then the 49ers defense completely BURIES him. Newton's first pass at the San Francisco 29 is incomplete, and then he's sacked on back-to-back downs, most notably by NaVorro Bowman who pushes him back 8 yards and the Carolina drive ends at the 37, outside of field goal range, and the Panthers have to punt. All they did on that long, long drive was burn out the clock.

49ers 20-10 Panthers, 2:41, 3rd quarter

So now it's 1 and 15 at the SF 48 but Newton scrambles to pick those five yards right back up. 2nd and 10, Newton passes to Olsen for 9 yards and again we're in a 3rd and 1. We've always been in a 3rd and 1.

49ers 20-10 Panthers, 4:10, 3rd quarter

Newton passes to LaFell for nine yards. It's 3rd and 1 again. This entire game feels like it's taken place on 3rd and 1. Tolbert picks up five yards and, here's another call after an incomplete pass to Ted Ginn. It's on the 49ers. It's now 1st and 10 at the San Francisco 43 where Williams gets 2 yards but the Panthers pick up a penalty for illegal formation.

TOUCHDOWN! 49ers 20-10 Panthers, 8:53, 3rd quarter

Kaepernick fumbles on the next drive! There's a huge pile on, which seems like a golden opportunity for Carolina, but Frank Gore recovers for SF it's just a two yard loss and Kaepernick runs the ball in on the next play for a touchdown. He then keeps up the whole pro wrestling heel thing and kisses his muscles because he's the worst.

49ers 13-10 Panthers, 10:18, 3rd quarter

Gore gets nine yards on two downs, so we're at 3rd and 1 at the Carolina 48. Kaepernick squeezes a yard out to give them the first down which is huge because Boldin EXPLODES for a 45 yard run, he's tackled just two yards a way from the touchdown.

49ers 13-10 Panthers, 13:38, 3rd quarter

Because they deferred after winning the coin toss (ALWAYS DEFER) the Panthers start the second half with the ball. They start at their 20 after a touchback. DeAngelo Williams rushes for three yards on first down, and then again on second down, but Newton's third down pass is incomplete, almost intercepted, and Carolina has to punt.

Tweets

The Panthers have been as entertaining as advertised, but I can't imagine that it's as much fun to watch them if you're a Carolina fan. They seem to be shooting themselves in the foot not to mention that constantly pleading for flags is the best way to make sure that you don't get any.

"The Ric Flair Game"

Okay after the smack talk, brawling, bad acting and questionable officiating, I'm now totally starting to see the connections between football and professional wrestling. My brother Travis, who writes a bit about pro wrestling, has shared his thoughts on this whole Ric Flair vs the Carolina Panthers subplot:

Nobody in the business knows how to work a mark like Ric Flair.But through all of his turns, for every time he kissed a girl and made her cry, for every time he has ridden in a limousine, flown in a jet, for all of the times he has both wheeled and dealed, one thing has always been true: a deep mutual appreciation between him and the state that first made him famous, North Carolina. Look no further for evidence of this appreciation than the Panthers’ usage of the famous chest-chop and “WOOOOO” as part of their victory celebrations. Hell, Flair is probably a bigger institution in Carolina than the Panthers themselves. So why did he decide to side with the 49ers against his state, the one state that is just as much Flair as Flair is to himself? The answer is rather simple: The best workers are always working.

Steve Smith

Yeah we're not quite in that zone yet, but who knows it's got one of "those kinds of games" feel to it. Steve Smith has been really spectacular this game for someone who hasn't played since people were unironically using the term YOLO.

49ers 6-10 Panthers, :14, 2nd quarter

So it's first and goal for the 49ers after the penalty. Frank Gore doesn't make it in to the endzone on first down. On second and goal, Vernon Davis catches what would be a touchdown... but he catches it out of bounds. Apparently. Jim Harbaugh wants a challenge on that, but he picks up a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the process.

49ers 6-10 Panthers, :42, 2nd quarter

Carolina's Quintin Mikell was injured on the last play, looks like the ankle. 2nd down: Kaepernick's pass to Boldin is incomplete, Carolina looks for a flag that doesn't come. On 3rd and goal, Kaepernick's pass is incomplete and that's a huge stop for the...

49ers 6-10 Panthers, 1:12, 2nd quarter

1st down and 10 at the Carolina 49. Frank gore catches a pass... but out of bounds. 2nd and 10. Kaepernick gets hassled by the defense and just gets off a ridiculous pass that Michael Crabtree somehow catches? Yikes, I forgot what a receiver he can be while he's been off my radar. It's a 20 yard gain that takes them to the Panthers 29, and Frank Gore gets them an additional five yards on first down. The 49ers take a time out.

Field goal! 49ers 6-10 Panthers, 3:41, 2nd quarter

And the 49ers defense kicks in here. Netwon gets sacked on 2nd and 1, the 49ers get a stop on 3rd down where they harass Newton (who may be doing a little acting here to sell the call), they only get an encroachment penalty on SF, it's still 3rd down but it's halfway way to the goal not that this makes much of a difference. Tolbert can't get in on third down and, this time, they settle for a field goal on fourth down.

49ers 6-7 Panthers, 5:49, 2nd quarter

So now Newton and company are on San Francisco's 20 yard line and, whoop, make that the 11 yard line after another Steve Smith catch. Mike Tolbert gets four yards and this is looking not so good for San Francisco. Even worse when Cam Newton gets it to the one yard line.

49ers 6-7 Panthers, 10:20, 2nd quarter

Brandon LaFell... juuust picks up the fourth down to the Carolina third and the Panthers take a timeout.

Cam Newton is in a running mood here, out of the Carolina timeout, he rushes for six yards, his 2nd and 4 is incomplete but then he gives one of his classic runs, scrambling for 11 yards for a first down. It's like he gets more dangerous on third down.

That's an interesting question for all the remaining teams, is it all situational? We'll see if, for instance, the New England Patriots reduce their reliance on the running game next week when its dry.

49ers 6-0 Panthers, 14:01, 2nd quarter

The 49ers start at their own one yard line. Kaepernick rushes for two yards to start the drive but after an incompletion and an incompletion that is a near-interception, that's a 3-and-out. So the failed conversion at 4th and 1 isn't too harmful.

49ers 6-0 Panthers, end of the 1st quarter

1st down and 10 on the San Francisco 17, Williams rushes for eleven yards and it's looking like nothing is going to stop this Carolina drive... until San Francisco does, the defense holds Carlina to the one-yard line for a 4th and 1 situation. Does Riverboat Ron elect to go for it on fourth down as he has through much of this season? We'll find out...

49ers 6-0 Panthers, 2:19, 1st quarter

Newton throws to Smith for 28 yards to get to the SF 38, I guess he's not just a decoy after all. DeAngelo Williams gets the better chunk of ten yards, seven yards, and then Newton throws to Ted Ginn for 17 yards and this is the scary Panthers offensive that we've seen in the second half.

Field goal! 49ers 6-0 Panthers, 4:38, 1st quarter

And now the 49ers are on the Panthers' 20 when Anquan Boldin (I had to double check that too, but yes Anquan Boldin) throws incomplete to Crabtree. They're in the shotgun formation now. Kaepernick does a bit better on second down, connecting with Crabtree for five yards but Boldin's second attempt to pass to Crabtree is incomplete and the 49ers have to settle for a 33 yard field goal, which Dawson makes.

49ers 3-0 Panthers, 5:37, 1st quarter

After the interception by Patrick Willis, the 49ers start their drive on their own 46. Kendall Hunter gets two yards and then the Carolina defense quite graciously gives them a first down with a holding penalty on Kuechly. On the next play, 1st and 10 at Carolina's 35, Captain Munnerlyn, who sounds like he's the worst superhero ever, headbutts Michael Crabtree for another Carolina penalty, this is just stupid, stupid behavior for the Panthers.

INTERCEPTION! 49ers 3-0 Panthers, 6:27, 1st quarter

DeAngelo Williams runs off for two yards to start of the drive and hey look it's Steve Smith! He gets a nice applause after his first touch takes the Panthers to their own 28. From there, a pass to Greg Olsen gives the Panthers their first down, Brandon LaFell gets an additional 7-yards to take them all the way to the own 41 and... Newton's next pass is intercepted!

Field goal! 49ers 3-0 Panthers, 9:18, 1st quarter

Okay here's the Carolina defense, Kaepernick's first pass on the 25 is incomplete, Frank Gore gets pretty much nothing on second down and Luke Kuechly sacks the QB for a loss of seven yards so SF has to settle for a field goal. Phil Dawson's 49 yarder is good and the 49ers on board first.

49ers 0-0 Panthers, 10:45, 1st quarter

Will Tukuafu gets off the field on his own power. At third down at the Carolina 42, Kaepernick's throw is incomplete but there's an unnecessary roughness call against Mike Mitchell that gives the 49ers a whole new set of downs at the Panther 25.

49ers 0-0 Panthers, 11:18, 1st quarter

On their own 43, Kaepernick hands the ball to Frank Gore, who gets five yards rushing, and after an incomplete on second down, hands it back to Gore who picks up eight yards and the first down. A lot more emphasis on the running game this postseason, it seems. Now in Panthers territory, he hands off again to Gore for two yards and then passes to Will Tukuafu, who gets two yards but is hurt on the play.

49ers 0-0 Panthers, 15:00, 1st quarter

Graham "No I'm not the Violent Femmes singer" Gano's kickoff would be a touchback but Frank Gore receives it for... 19 yards he would have been better off just letting it go. Carolina's Charles Johnson is hurt on the play.

Tweets

@HunterFelt 49ers my pick; if QB & Defense are on it, they'll be too much. Mind you I said Pats would struggle without Gronk.

I think it's a coin flip. And speaking of the coin flip, the Panthers win and they defer (and no I didn't see whether it was heads or tails and if you email to ask me I will report you to the IRS for illegal gambling).

No Ric Flair sightings yet

The weirdest plotline of the NFL playoffs continues, as pro wresting legend Ric Flair has "betrayed" his hometown Carolina Panthers when he gave a pep talk to the San Francisco 49ers last week. He's apparently no longer welcome at Panthers games, which is just as well considering he owes child support over there.

Predictions

This probably is the closest match-up of any of the Divisional Games, both teams have a great defense, a rushing/passing threat at quarterback and (if Steve Smith and Michael Crabtree are both healthy) potential explosive threats. I'm going to go with the 49ers, just because they've been there before. So I'm going 49ers 21, Panthers 17. Your thoughts? Email them to Hunter.Felt.Freelance@theguardian.com or tweet them to @HunterFelt.

Panthers inactives

Couldn't find a tweet so I actually had to cut and paste and this one from a website, I will be applying for hazard pay. Big news here: wide receiver Steve Smith is active today, he could add an x-factor to this game... or he could just be a decoy.

Preamble

Wow, it seems like we were just here last night, doesn't it? This afternoon, the San Francisco 49ers and the Carolina Panthers will meet at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte for the right to be utterly demolished by to see which team will face the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game. Last season, the 49ers advanced all the way to the Super Bowl while the Carolina Panthers, well, very much didn't. In fact, Carolina are seeking their first playoff win since 2006.

When the regular season began, few predicted that the Carolina Panthers would make it to the postseason. Last season, head coach Ron Rivera was perpetually on the verge of being fired and franchise quarterback Cam Newton, and 2012 Rookie of the Year, was overshadowed by the likes of Indianapolis's Andrew Luck, Washington's Robert Griffin III, Seattle's Russell Wilson and, yes, San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick. Carolina had to win five of its last six games just to improve their record to a still-pretty-bad 7-9.

Today's NFL is all about offense, however, so much of the credit has gone to quarterback Cam Newton, who put up MVP-caliber stats in the second half and head coach Ron Rivera, now notoriously one of the most aggressive play-callers in the league. Okay, so maybe it's not all on Newton and Rivera, now known as "Riverboat Ron" (maybe the best NFL head coach nickname since Big Tuna) don't deserve all the praise, just like they didn't deserve all of the criticism, but they've definitely been the two most prominent personalities in their team's turnaround.